Project 01 - Park Wall Structure - RefugeSpace

​Student will develop a structure refuge space for a Texas state park.  As the first project of the semester, this project will focus on the most fundamental architectural element – the wall.  Research and interpretation of the wall will take place through structured studies of work by architect Mies van der Rohe and artist Piet Mondrian.  In the end, students' designs must respond to the surrounding landscape as well as provide usable shelter (refuge) for park visitors.  The primary objective for the project is to understand how the architectural wall is used to create dynamic and useful space that connects an occupant to a natural landscape.

Students may select a project site from the more than 50 state parks across Texas.  In each park, students will define an area to develop a structure in order to support an activity located along the park’s trail system (hiking, cycling, horseback riding, boating, etc.).  In order for these structures to be successful, research must result in an understanding of the inherent characteristics of the park and site (landscape, geography, geology, plants, wildlife, etc.).  Student designs should be closely tied and integrated with these qualities of site.  These structures are required to be accessible from an existing trail system using a mode of transportation for which the trail is designed.

To support the design process, students will learn and apply basic principles of sustainable (environmentally sensitive) design using passive solar techniques. Detailed sun and climate studies will permit designs to take advantage of the natural features of the site itself and develop a seamless relationship between architecture and nature for park visitors. 

The design of each structure should be based on multiple factors that affect how the building looks and functions:
  • The surrounding environment
  • The specific recreational activities of park visitors
  • The basic need for shelter and refuge in a natural landscape
  • Recognition and enhancement of any special natural features at or near the site
The specific program (rooms and spaces) that students provide will result from research into the park, the specified activity, and the needs of park visitors in that activity.  Students' primary goals are to accomplish the following:
  • Provide enhanced space for the designated activity (make the activity a better experience or easier)
  • Provide necessary resources for visitor needs (water, a rest stop, solar powered charging stations, equipment repair/provision, etc.).
  • Provide space of refuge or connection with the landscape (rain shelter, scenic overlook, viewing outpost, sleeping quarters, etc.)
Students will accommodate these requirements using the basic architectural element of the wall as the primary design tool.
For the second half of the semester, students were given a choice of two different projects for the design of a home.

Project 02 - Maison Domino - FreeSpace

Given a narrative project brief, students will design a weekend home for an "empty nest" couple in rural Justin, Texas.  The initial use of the house will be that of a weekend home, but the clients intend to eventually make this design a permanent residence.  Taking the clients' interests and requests into account, students will develop a design that takes inspiration from multiple sources including:
  • The rural Texas landscape
  • Le Corbusier's 5 Points of a New Architecture and Villa Savoye
  • Le Corbusier's career work as a painter
Building on the sustainable design principles covered in project 01, students will incorporate a sustainable design standard into their individual solutions.  The end result will be a home that encompasses and expresses the dynamic forces of client use, site, and architectural intervention through space.

Project 03 - Cliff House - PocheSpace

Given a narrative brief similar to project 02, students will design a home/research laboratory for a scientist couple (archaeologist and botanist).  The project site is located in Palo Duro Canyon across from state park land.  Site building restrictions will force this home underground and exposed along the canyon wall.  Students will develop a design incorporating the clients living and working needs while connecting to the surrounding landscape in unique ways.  As a point of beginning, students will research the following topics as a means to understand the design problem and formulate their own solutions:
  • The West Texas Palo Duro Canyon landscape
  • Archaeological and Botanical work spaces
  • The work of architect Emilio Ambasz
  • The work of artist Richard Serra
Building on the sustainable design principles covered in project 01, students will incorporate a sustainable design standard into their individual solutions.  The end result will be a home that encompasses and expresses the dynamic forces of client use, site, and architectural intervention through space.